Lonzie Barton: Mom Of Missing Boy Busted On Child Neglect Rap, Lied To Cops, Police Say
Little Lonzie Barton, a cute 21-month-old toddler, disappeared from his Jacksonville, Florida, home on July 24 — and police believe his mom may have a pretty good idea what happened to him. In fact, they say, Lonna Lauramore Barton saw a severe bruise on the back of her son’s head the day before Lonzie disappeared while being watched by her drug-dealer lover, Ruben Ebron.
But she went to work anyway, leaving Lonzie in Ebron’s care again, despite the obvious injury. Not only did Lonzie have a bruise that was clearly observed by Lauramore Barton, but the mom also saw yellow fluid oozing from Lonzie’s ears, and observed that the toddler vomited and appeared lethargic, police say, but she still somehow trusted Ebron to look after the boy and his 5-year-old sister as she went to her job at local strip club Wacko’s, even though he may have severely hurt Lonzie.
“She left Lonzie and her five-year-old in the care, and custody, control of someone who may have done something to hurt the child, and then went to work at Wacko’s,” said the chief.
Then, when police questioned her as she left work on the day that Lonzie vanished, she lied to them. According to the Jacksonville Police Chief Tom Hackney, the young mom told the cops that she didn’t even know who Ebron was.
Hackney accused her of being “a liar” who has displayed “a pattern of deception and lies” throughout the investigation of her son’s disappearance.
Lonzie’s mom being booked into jail @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/VAuP0NYpay
— Catherine Varnum (@VarnumANjax) August 19, 2015
But far from not knowing Ebron, Lauramore Barton knew that he was a drug dealer, Hackney said Tuesday. She even know that Ebron kept drugs in the house and would often accompany her boyfriend — bringing Lonzie with her in the car — as he conducted his illegal business, the chief said.
Lonzie’s disappearance has since been declared a murder by police, and Ebron is considered their No. 1 suspect, though Lonzie’s body has not been found. In a televised interview last week, Lonna Lauramore Barton said that she believes her son is still alive.
Ebron, pictured below at his arraignment on other charges, claimed that on July 24 he put Lonzie in the car to pick up his mother from work, but briefly ran back into the house. When he came out, he saw an unknown person driving the car away with the little boy inside.
But police say that they have video showing Ebron driving the car — which was found abandoned with no sign of Lonzie — alone. Ebron is currently jailed on two child neglect charges and a charge of lying to police. He pleaded not guilty to those charges, but he has not been charged with the killing of Lonzie Barton.
[Images: WJCT-TV, WJAX-TV]
